selfish_meme

I will have to look into it, it is really late here and I can't finish posting the rest till tomorrow.

Project X SMA has something special for you today, a fully stock, Spaceplane with VTOL and SSTO capability. Yep you heard right, an SSTO Spaceplane that can take off and land vertically. It uses jets so it's VTOL capability flying around Kerbin can be enjoyed at anytime. Then when you feel like a little orbital jaunt, just point that sucker skyward. This is a technology demonstrator and a much better VTOL plane than it is an SSTO. Being experimental, the handling can be....unpredictable with low fuel. It has been tested to 70km+ orbits with 600m/s+ of dV remaining Landed successfully on VAB Helipads Download Fly's very nice, until you run low on fuel, make sure to transfer everything to the nose tank before de-orbiting. Action Groups Action Group 1 - Switch between Horizontal and Vertical engines Action Group 2 - Switch Rapiers on and off for use in atmosphere Action Group 3 - Switch Mode on the Rapiers Action Group 4 - Switch LV-N on and off For Vertical Takeoff Start craft, turn on brakes and stage Rapiers with no thrust (T + X + Space) then hit Action Group 1 to switch to Vertical mode and then Z for full thrust. When the craft rolls forward a bit pitch back to bring the nose off the ground and it should then rise smoothly, (albeit slowly) with no further input. For Transition to Horizontal flight Click Action Group 2 to activate Rapiers and when you have reached about 80m/s click it again to toggle Rapiers off and then click action group 1 to switch engines from vertical to horizontal flight, the ship will start to lose height. Just keep the nose above horizon to about 5 to 10 degrees and wait for the ship to start climbing again. To orbit Like any Rapier powered craft keep the pitch low till you hit 400m/s plus and then slowly pitch up to between 10 and 20 degrees. You need to keep the speed climbing and be about to exceed 1000m/s by 10 km. Once you have reached 10km and 1000m/s the trick is to keep accelerating. If it starts slowing down stage the LV-N and finally switch mode on the Rapiers with Action Group 3. This tends to pitch the craft up so be ready for it, try and keep the pitch below 25 degrees, pulse the Rapiers with Action Group 3 if it pitches too high. Once you are out of atmosphere (35km+) you can pretty much leave the Rapiers off and continue with the LV-N, I sometimes pulse the Rapiers to give it a shove, but the pitch up is quite severe with the low fuel remaining. It handles quite well on the LV-N alone.

I'd rep you again but apparently I can't

If you got it down and can get it back to orbit with a nuke color us impressed T-Prize Challenge

If the landing legs were placed with symmetry they will all work when you add one to the action group. If they were placed individually they all need to be added individually to the action group.

The COM does seem quite far forward, I usually have it right in front, if not touching the COL, but this is a big plane and the difference may be exaggerated

Hey I am liking the direction the nose is taking, usually trouble getting off the runway is due to COM too far forward, also do you have any angle in the wings?

You should enter the T-prize did you take a capsule or lander can?

Or CKAN

Try take a nuke to Tylo, we will wait here for you.

Check out the Jool Grand Tour challenge thread, it happens all the time, also look for Kidonia, it's exactly what you want to do.

Thanks very much, it's good to know some people might be interested in playing it when it is finished. No updates today, got peed off at pathfinder and sidetracked down a different project. Spoilers soon in my builder thread. Edit: Spoilers are up

You are trying to fly a craft that was built before the 1.0 update that changed parts and physics. This craft no longer works.

If they were to introduce propellers I would like to see balloons with them, thats the way to explore a non oxygen atmosphere. I believe there is also work being done on a non oxygen breathing jet engine that uses magnesium powder. It tends to clog up though.

Well that was premature.

Hmm it looks like you are using the Cheyenne tail of the B-17G (the one in the picture I posted) earlier B-17's had a different smaller rudder. - - - Updated - - - scratch that everything after the D used that tail

I feel like I am leading you down the wrong path, what version of the B-17 is it? That would determine some of the features. The picture I posted before is the best guide you can go by.

Mwahahahahaha

The tail section needs to come out past the turret, also that nosecone and no chin turret

I just had a frikken amazing idea about the panels now to wait till I can play.

I like that it has contrails - - - Updated - - - If you enjoyed that CommanderSpocks Ares V needs a going over, it's on my todo list

Hey you helped me with my Ares 1

Thats a lot of speculation, U5 will bring performance improvements, and adding new parts is not that much of an issue, it's only when they change physics. Like a new wing, would only add a tiny memory footprint but would not have any effect on the physics, where adding aerodynamics has a huge effect. I like that they have brought Nathan onboard to help quash old bugs, he has a lot of experience making RSS and can help with a lot of those things, getting Claw integrating his Stock Bug Fixes would be even better.

And the small jets?